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Postgres documentation
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<refentry id="APP-PGDUMP">
 <docinfo>
  <date>2001-03-06</date>
 </docinfo>

 <refmeta>
  <refentrytitle>
   pg_dump
  </refentrytitle>
  <manvolnum>1</manvolnum>
  <refmiscinfo>Application</refmiscinfo>
 </refmeta>

 <refnamediv>
  <refname>pg_dump</refname>

  <refpurpose>
   extract a <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> database into a script file or other archive file 
  </refpurpose>
 </refnamediv>

 <refsynopsisdiv>
  <cmdsynopsis>
   <command>pg_dump</command>
   <group> <arg>-a</arg> <arg>-s</arg> </group>
   <arg>-b</arg>
   <arg>-c</arg>
   <arg>-C</arg>
   <group> <arg>-d</arg> <arg>-D</arg> </group>
   <arg>-f <replaceable>file</replaceable></arg> 
   <arg>-F <replaceable>format</replaceable></arg>
   <arg>-i</arg>
   <group> <arg>-n</arg> <arg>-N</arg> </group>
   <arg>-o</arg>
   <arg>-O</arg>
   <arg>-R</arg>
   <arg>-S</arg>
   <arg>-t <replaceable>table</replaceable></arg>
   <arg>-v</arg>
   <arg>-x</arg>
   <arg>-X <replaceable>keyword</replaceable></arg>
   <arg>-Z <replaceable>0...9</replaceable></arg>
   <arg>-h <replaceable>host</replaceable></arg>
   <arg>-p <replaceable>port</replaceable></arg>
   <arg>-U <replaceable>username</replaceable></arg>
   <arg>-W</arg>
   <arg choice="plain"><replaceable>dbname</replaceable></arg>
  </cmdsynopsis>
 </refsynopsisdiv>


 <refsect1 id="pg-dump-description">
  <title>
   Description
  </title>

  <para>
   <command>pg_dump</command> is a utility for saving a
   <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> database into a script or an
   archive file.  The script files are in plain text format and
   contain the SQL commands required to reconstruct the database to
   the state it was in at the time is was saved.  They can be used to
   reconstruct the database even on other machines and other
   architectures, with some modifications even on other RDBMS
   products.  The alternative archive file formats are meant to be
   used with <xref linkend="app-pgrestore"> to rebuild the database,
   and they also allow <command>pg_restore</command> to be selective
   about what is restored, or even to reorder the items prior to being
   restored. The archive files are also designed to be portable across
   architectures.
  </para>

  <para>
   <command>pg_dump</command> will save the information necessary to
   re-generate all user-defined types, functions, tables, indexes,
   aggregates, and operators.  In addition, all the data is copied out
   in text format so that it can be readily copied in again, as well
   as imported into tools for editing.
  </para>

  <para>
   <command>pg_dump</command> 
   is useful for dumping out the contents of a database to move from one
   <productname>Postgres</productname> installation to another.
  </para>

  <para>
   When used with one of the archive file formats and combined with
   <command>pg_restore</command>, it provides a flexible archival and
   transfer mechanism. <command>pg_dump</command> can be used to
   backup an entire database, then <command>pg_restore</command> can
   be used to examine the archive and/or select which parts of the
   database are to be restored.  See the <xref
   linkend="app-pgrestore"> documentation for details.
  </para>

  <para>
   While running <command>pg_dump</command>, one should examine the
   output for any warnings (printed on standard error), especially in
   light of the limitations listed below.
  </para>

  <para>
   <command>pg_dump</command> makes consistent backups even if the
   database is being used concurrently.  <command>pg_dump</command>
   does not block other users accessing the database (readers or
   writers).
  </para>

  <refsect2 id="pg-dump-options">
   <title>Options</title>

   <para>
    <command>pg_dump</command> accepts the following command
    line arguments.  (Long option forms are only available on some platforms.)

    <variablelist>
     <varlistentry>
      <term><replaceable class="parameter">dbname</replaceable></term>
      <listitem>
       <para>
	Specifies the name of the database to be extracted.
       </para>
      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>

     <varlistentry>
      <term>-a</term>
      <term>--data-only</term>
      <listitem>
       <para>
	Dump only the data, not the schema (data definitions).
       </para>
      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>

     <varlistentry>
      <term>-b</term>
      <term>--blobs</term>
      <listitem>
       <para>
 	Include large objects in dump.
       </para>
      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>

     <varlistentry>
      <term>-c</term>
      <term>--clean</term>
      <listitem>
       <para>
        Output commands to clean (drop) the schema prior to (the
        commands for) creating it.
       </para>
      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>

     <varlistentry>
      <term>-C</term>
      <term>--create</term>
      <listitem>
       <para>
	For plain text (script) output, include commands to create the database itself.
       </para>
      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>

     <varlistentry>
      <term>-d</term>
      <term>--inserts</term>
      <listitem>
       <para>
	Dump data as proper <command>INSERT</command> commands (rather
	than <command>COPY</command>). This will make restoration very
	slow, but it makes the archives more portable to other RDBMS
	packages.
       </para>
      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>

     <varlistentry>
      <term>-D</term>
      <term>--column-inserts</term>
      <term>--attribute-inserts</term>
      <listitem>
       <para>
	Dump data as <command>INSERT</command> commands with explicit
	column names (<literal>INSERT INTO
	<replaceable>table</replaceable>
	(<replaceable>column</replaceable>, ...) VALUES
	...</literal>).  This will make restoration very slow.
       </para>
      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>

     <varlistentry>
      <term>-f <replaceable class="parameter">file</replaceable></term>
      <term>--file=<replaceable class="parameter">file</replaceable></term>
      <listitem>
       <para>
	Send output to the specified file.  If this is omitted, the
	standard output is used.
       </para>
      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>

     <varlistentry>
      <term>-F <replaceable class="parameter">format</replaceable></term>
      <term>--format=<replaceable class="parameter">format</replaceable></term>
      <listitem>
       <para>
        Selects the format of the output.
	<replaceable>format</replaceable> can be one of the following:

       <variablelist>
        <varlistentry>
         <term>p</term>
         <listitem>
          <para>
           output a plain text <acronym>SQL</acronym> script file (default)
          </para>
         </listitem>
        </varlistentry>

        <varlistentry>
         <term>t</term>
         <listitem>
          <para>
         output a <filename>tar</filename> archive suitable for input into 
         <command>pg_restore</command>. Using this archive format 
         allows reordering and/or exclusion of schema elements 
         at the time the database is restored. It is also possible to limit 
         which data is reloaded at restore time.
          </para>
         </listitem>
        </varlistentry>

        <varlistentry>
         <term>c</term>
         <listitem>
          <para>
         output a custom archive suitable for input into 
         <command>pg_restore</command>. This is the most flexible 
         format in that it allows reordering of data load as well 
         as schema elements. This format is also compressed by default.
          </para>
         </listitem>
        </varlistentry>

       </variablelist>
       </para>

      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>

     <varlistentry>
      <term>-i</term>
      <term>--ignore-version</term>
      <listitem>
       <para>
        Ignore version mismatch between <command>pg_dump</command>
	and the database server.  Since <command>pg_dump</command>
	knows a great deal about system catalogs, any given version of
	<command>pg_dump</command> is only intended to work with
	the corresponding release of the database server.  Use this option
	if you need to override the version check (and if
	<command>pg_dump</command> then fails, don't
	say you weren't warned).
       </para>
      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>

     <varlistentry>
      <term>-n</term>
      <term>--no-quotes</term>
      <listitem>
       <para>
	Suppress double quotes around identifiers unless absolutely necessary.
	This may cause trouble loading this dumped data if there are reserved words
	used for identifiers. 
	This was the default behavior for
	<command>pg_dump</command> prior to version 6.4.
       </para>
      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>

     <varlistentry>
      <term>-N</term>
      <term>--quotes</term>
      <listitem>
       <para>
	Include double quotes around identifiers.
	This is the default.
       </para>
      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>

     <varlistentry>
      <term>-o</term>
      <term>--oids</term>
      <listitem>
       <para>
	Dump object identifiers (<acronym>OID</acronym>s) for every
	table.  Use this option if your application references the oid
	columns in some way (e.g., in a foreign key constraint).
	Otherwise, this option should not be used.
       </para>
      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>

     <varlistentry>
      <term>-O</term>
      <term>--no-owner</term>
      <listitem>
       <para>
	In plain text output mode, do not output commands to set the
	object ownership to match the original database.  Typically,
	<command>pg_dump</command> issues
	(<command>psql</command>-specific) <command>\connect</command>
	statements to set ownership of schema elements.  See also
	under <option>-R</option> and <option>-X
	use-set-session-authorization</option>.  Note that
	<option>-O</option> does not prevent all reconnections to the
	database, only the ones that are exclusively used for
	ownership adjustments.
       </para>

       <para>
        This option is only meaningful for the plain text format.  For
        the other formats, you need to specify the option when you
        call <command>pg_restore</command>.
       </para>
      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>

     <varlistentry>
      <term>-R</term>
      <term>--no-reconnect</term>
      <listitem>
       <para>
	In plain text output mode, prohibit <command>pg_dump</command>
        from outputting a script that would require reconnections to
        the database while being restored.  An average restoration
        script usually has to reconnect several times as different
        users to set the original ownerships of the objects.  This
        option is a rather blunt instrument because it makes
        <command>pg_dump</command> lose this ownership information,
        <emphasis>unless</emphasis> you use the <option>-X
        use-set-session-authorization</option> option.
       </para>

       <para>
        One possible reason why reconnections during restore might not
        be desired is if the access to the database requires manual
        interaction (e.g., passwords).
       </para>

       <para>
        This option is only meaningful for the plain text format.  For
        the other formats, you need to specify the option when you
        call <command>pg_restore</command>.
       </para>
      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>

     <varlistentry>
      <term>-s</term>
      <term>--schema-only</term>
      <listitem>
       <para>
	Dump only the schema (data definitions), no data.
       </para>
      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>

     <varlistentry>
      <term>-S <replaceable class="parameter">username</replaceable></term>
      <term>--superuser=<replaceable class="parameter">username</replaceable></term>
      <listitem>
       <para>
        The scripts or archives created by <command>pg_dump</command>
        need to have superuser access in certain cases, such as when
        disabling triggers or setting ownership of schema elements.
        This option specifies the user name to use for those cases.
       </para>
      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>

     <varlistentry>
      <term>-t <replaceable class="parameter">table</replaceable></term>
      <term>--table=<replaceable class="parameter">table</replaceable></term>
      <listitem>
       <para>
	Dump data for <replaceable class="parameter">table</replaceable> only.
       </para>
      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>

     <varlistentry>
      <term>-v</term>
      <term>--verbose</term>
      <listitem>
       <para>
	Specifies verbose mode.
       </para>
      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>

     <varlistentry>
      <term>-x</term>
      <term>--no-privileges</term>
      <term>--no-acl</term>
      <listitem>
       <para>
	Prevent dumping of access privileges (grant/revoke commands).
       </para>
      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>

     <varlistentry>
      <term>-X use-set-session-authorization</term>
      <term>--use-set-session-authorization</term>
      <listitem>
       <para>
        Normally, if a (plain text mode) script generated by
        <command>pg_dump</command> must alter the current database
        user (e.g., to set correct object ownerships), it uses the
        <xref linkend="app-psql"> <command>\connect</command> command.
        This command actually opens a new connection, which might
        require manual interaction (e.g., passwords).  If you use the
        <option>-X use-set-session-authorization</option>, then
        <command>pg_dump</command> will instead output <xref
        linkend="sql-set-session-authorization"> commands.  This has
        the same effect, but it requires that the user restoring the
        database from the generated script be a database superuser.
        This option effectively overrides the <option>-R</option>
        option.
       </para>

       <para>
        Since <xref linkend="sql-set-session-authorization"> is a
        standard SQL command, whereas <command>\connect</command> only
        works in <xref linkend="app-psql">, this option also enhances
        the theoretical portability of the output script.
       </para>

       <para>
        This option is only meaningful for the plain text format.  For
        the other formats, you need to specify the option when you
        call <command>pg_restore</command>.
       </para>
      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>

     <varlistentry>
      <term>-Z <replaceable class="parameter">0..9</replaceable></term>
      <term>--compress=<replaceable class="parameter">0..9</replaceable></term>
      <listitem>
       <para>
	Specify the compression level to use in archive formats that support 
      compression (currently only the custom archive format supports compression).
       </para>
      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>


    </variablelist>
   </para>
   <para>
    <command>pg_dump</command> also accepts 
    the following command line arguments for connection parameters:

    <variablelist>
     <varlistentry>
      <term>-h <replaceable class="parameter">host</replaceable></term>
      <term>--host=<replaceable class="parameter">host</replaceable></term>
      <listitem>
       <para>
	Specifies the host name of the machine on which the 
	<command>postmaster</command>
	is running.  If host begins with a slash, it is used 
	as the directory for the Unix domain socket.
       </para>
      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>

     <varlistentry>
      <term>-p <replaceable class="parameter">port</replaceable></term>
      <term>--port=<replaceable class="parameter">port</replaceable></term>
      <listitem>
       <para>
	Specifies the Internet TCP/IP port or local Unix domain socket file 
	extension on which the <command>postmaster</command>
	is listening for connections.  The port number defaults to 5432,
	or the value of the <envar>PGPORT</envar>
	environment variable (if set).
       </para>
      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>

     <varlistentry>
      <term>-U <replaceable>username</replaceable></term>
      <listitem>
       <para>
        Connect as the given user.
       </para>
      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>

     <varlistentry>
      <term>-W</term>
      <listitem>
       <para>
        Force a password prompt.  This should happen automatically if
        the server requires password authentication.
       </para>
      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>
    </variablelist>
   </para>
  </refsect2>

 </refsect1>

 <refsect1 id="app-pgdump-diagnostics">
  <title>Diagnostics</title>

  <msgset>
   <msgentry>
    <msg>
     <msgmain>
      <msgtext>
<screen><computeroutput>
Connection to database 'template1' failed.
connectDBStart() -- connect() failed: No such file or directory
        Is the postmaster running locally
        and accepting connections on Unix socket '/tmp/.s.PGSQL.5432'?
</computeroutput></screen>
      </msgtext>
     </msgmain> 
    </msg>

    <msgexplan>
       <para>
	<command>pg_dump</command> could not attach to the 
	<command>postmaster</command> 
	process on the specified host and port.  If you see this message,
	ensure that the <command>postmaster</command> 
	is running on the proper host and that you have specified the proper
	port.
       </para>
    </msgexplan>
   </msgentry>

  </msgset>

   <note>
    <para>
     <command>pg_dump</command> internally executes
     <command>SELECT</command> statements. If you have problems running
     <command>pg_dump</command>,
     make sure you are able to select information from the database using, for
     example, <xref linkend="app-psql">.
    </para>
   </note>
 </refsect1>


 <refsect1 id="pg-dump-notes">
  <title>Notes</title>
  <para>
   <command>pg_dump</command> has a few limitations.

   <itemizedlist>
    <listitem>
     <para>
      When dumping a single table or as plain text, <command>pg_dump</command> 
      does not handle large objects. Large objects must be dumped in their
      entirety using one of the binary archive formats.
     </para>
    </listitem>

    <listitem>
     <para>
      When doing a data only dump, <command>pg_dump</command> emits queries
      to disable triggers on user tables before inserting the data and queries to
      re-enable them after the data has been inserted.  If the restore is stopped
      in the middle, the system catalogs may be left in the wrong state.
     </para>
    </listitem>

   </itemizedlist>
  </para>
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1 id="pg-dump-examples">
  <title>Examples</title>

  <para>
   To dump a database:
<screen>
<prompt>$</prompt> <userinput>pg_dump mydb &gt; db.out</userinput>
</screen>
  </para>

  <para>
   To reload this database:
<screen>
<prompt>$</prompt> <userinput>psql -d database -f db.out</userinput>
</screen>
  </para>

  <para>
   To dump a database called <literal>mydb</> that contains
   large objects to a <filename>tar</filename> file:

<screen>
<prompt>$</prompt> <userinput>pg_dump -Ft -b mydb &gt; db.tar</userinput>
</screen>
  </para>

  <para>
   To reload this database (with large objects) to an
   existing database called <literal>newdb</>:

<screen>
<prompt>$</prompt> <userinput>pg_restore -d newdb db.tar</userinput>
</screen>
  </para>

 </refsect1>

 <refsect1>
  <title>History</title>

  <para>
   The <command>pg_dump</command> utility first appeared in
   <application>Postgres95 release 0.02</application>.  The
   non-plain-text output formats were introduced in
   <application>PostgreSQL 7.1</application>.
  </para>
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1>
  <title>See Also</title>

  <simplelist type="inline">
   <member><xref linkend="app-pg-dumpall"></member>
   <member><xref linkend="app-pgrestore"></member>
   <member><xref linkend="app-psql"></member>
   <member><citetitle>PostgreSQL Administrator's Guide</citetitle></member>
  </simplelist>
 </refsect1>

</refentry>

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